Read Online Three Girls And A Leading Man by Rachel Schurig - Free Book Online Page A

wasn’t set in stone or anything.”
    Ginny smirked. “Well, I hope that
works out then,” she said before she headed into the bathroom to do her own
hair.
    I decided to take Ginny’s advice
and just braid my hair. There was no point in fighting it. I sat down at the
desk in front of a mirror and went to work on my hair. As I looked at myself in
the mirror, I smiled a little goofily. It had been a great day so far. The
truth was, I was really excited about the prospect of seeing Nate again. I’d
had more fun with him by the pool then I cared to admit. When we had to leave
to go the stratosphere tower, I actually felt disappointed. When he offered to
meet up at the Bellagio fountains later that night, I was quick to agree.
    And while the thrill rides at the
top of the tower were crazy fun and terrifying, I’d had had a hard time keeping
my mind off my date all day.
    Get
a hold of yourself , I instructed myself firmly. He’s not your boyfriend. It’s a little fun to have on vacation, nothing
more. Enjoy it, then move on.
    That had been my motto with boys
for years, and it had always served me well. Unlike Ginny and Jen, I had spent
little of our teens years pining for boys who didn’t like me back. In our
twenties, I’d had few moments of heartbreak. I just worked better that way.
    A few minutes later, Ginny was
ready. “See, babe,” she said, looking me over. “You look great. Totally hot.
Nate will love it…if, you know, you happen to see him.”
    I knew she was teasing me, but I
ignored it. “Ready?” I asked her.
    “Yup,” she replied. “Let’s go find
the others.”

 
    ***
    Three hours later I was heading
across the busy street toward the Bellagio casino. Even from this distance I
could see people gathering for the dancing fountain’s next performance. Ginny
and I had seen the show from our room a few times, and I had to admit it was
pretty cool. I wondered for a moment if Nate would be there. What if he was having
too much fun with his friends? What if they had decided to get strippers after
all?
    Stop
obsessing , I told myself. It isn’t
you .
    As I hurried across the courtyard
toward the fountain, I heard a voice.
    “Annie!”
    I turned, and there he was, walking
toward me. He was dressed in a suit, but had removed his tie and unbuttoned the
top few buttons of his shirt. I couldn’t help the smile that broke out across
my face. He looked great.
    Before I could even say hello, he
had reached for me and pulled me into a big hug. “I was getting worried you
might ditch me,” he said into my hair.
    “Nah,” I replied, smiling into his
suit jacket. “I’m here.”
    He looked down at me, the lights
from the strip reflecting off his hair. “I’m really, really glad,” he said, his
deep voice sending a flutter into my belly. He stared down at me for a minute
and I again felt color spread to my cheeks. “Come on,” he said finally. “I
think the show is going to start soon.”
    We approached the crowd gathered
around the fountain as the lights around the lake began to dim. The people fell
silent and the music started.
    “Hey, I know this music,” I said as
the operatic piece began. “It’s Time to
Say Goodbye —that’s Sarah Brightman!”
    Nate looked down at me with a
bemused expression. “She was in Phantom
of the Opera ,” I said sheepishly. “Sorry, theater dork.”
    He just grinned and put his arm
around me.
    From our room high above, Ginny and
I could tell that the fountains would be cool. But I had no idea how amazing it
would be in person like this, once the music got going. The jets were
synchronized perfectly with the music, like the water was really dancing.
    As the music reached its crescendo
and the water pushed ever higher into the sky, I was surprised to find wetness
on my cheeks. I looked up and saw that Nate was watching me rather than the
show. “Sorry,” I whispered, embarrassed. “It’s beautiful.”
    “Don’t be sorry,” he said, shaking
his head.